St. Johns River blue crab trap closure ending early

Recreational and commercial blue crab traps may be placed back in the water in all areas of the St. Johns River system starting Jan. 18.

Traps were required to be removed from the water as part of a 10-day closure that started Jan. 16, but this closure will end eight days early because efforts to remove lost and abandoned traps have been completed.

The closure includes all waters of the St. Johns River system, its associated lakes and tributaries from west of the St. Johns River’s intersection with the Intracoastal Canal through and including Lake Hellen Blazes in Brevard County.

This and other similar closures give groups authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the water.

Lost and abandoned blue crab traps are a problem in the blue crab fishery because they can continue to trap crabs and fish when left in the water. They can also be unsightly in the marine environment, damage sensitive habitats and pose navigational hazards to boaters on the water.

The closure is one of three regional, 10-day blue crab trap closures that occur in 2014 on the Atlantic coast of Florida. There are six regional closures total: three in odd-numbered years on the west coast and three in even-numbered years on the east coast.